Report Writing and Grammar Flashcards
7 cards from real State Trooper practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Report Writing and Grammar flashcards as text
Which of the following should NEVER be included in a police report?
Answer: Officer's personal opinions about guilt
Police reports must contain only objective facts; personal opinions about guilt are inadmissible and can compromise the investigation.
A report states: 'The suspect was obviously lying.' Why is this problematic?
Answer: It is a subjective conclusion, not an objective observation
Officers should document observable behaviors (e.g., 'the suspect's statements were inconsistent') rather than making subjective conclusions.
Which punctuation mark is used to introduce a list in a formal police report?
Answer: Colon
A colon is used before a list or series of items in formal writing.
What is the correct way to document a suspect's race and gender in a report?
Answer: Use standardized department-approved descriptors
Standardized, department-approved descriptors ensure consistency, professionalism, and legal defensibility.
When a trooper cannot recall an exact time during an incident, what is the best practice?
Answer: Write 'approximately' followed by the best estimated time
Using 'approximately' before an estimated time is acceptable and honest, while fabricating times can constitute falsification of records.
The word 'their' is a __________ pronoun.
Answer: Plural possessive
'Their' is a plural possessive pronoun indicating something belonging to multiple people.
Which of the following is an example of hearsay that should be clearly attributed in a report?
Answer: The witness stated that a bystander told her the car ran a red light.
Information the witness received second-hand must be clearly attributed to identify it as hearsay, not direct observation.